A tracheotomy is a surgical procedure in which a cut or opening is made in the windpipe (trachea). The surgeon inserts a tube into the opening to bypass an obstruction to allow air to get into the lungs, or to remove secretions. The term tracheostomy is sometimes used interchangeably with tracheotomy. Strictly speaking, however, tracheostomy usually refers to the opening itself, while a tracheotomy is the actual operation.
A tracheotomy is performed if an insufficient amount of air is getting to the lungs, if the person cannot breathe without help, or is having problems with mucus and other secretions getting into the windpipe because of difficulty swallowing. There are many reasons why air cannot get to the lungs. The patient's windpipe may be blocked by a swelling. He or she may have a severe injury to the neck, nose or mouth. The windpipe may be occluded by a large foreign object. There may be paralysis of the throat muscles or the presence of a tumor. The patient may be in a coma, or need a ventilator to pump air into the lungs for a long period of time.
Doctors perform emergency tracheotomies as last-resort procedures. They are done only if the patient's windpipe is obstructed and the situation is life threatening. There are two different procedures that are called tracheotomies. The first is done only in emergency situations and can be performed quite rapidly. The emergency room physician or surgeon makes a cut in a thin part of the voice box (larynx) call the cricothyroid membrane. A tube is inserted and connected to an oxygen bag. This emergency procedure is sometimes called a cricothyroidotomy.
The second type of tracheotomy takes more time and is usually done in an operating room. The surgeon first makes a cut (incision) in the skin of the neck that lies over the trachea. This incision is in the lower part of the neck between the Adam's apple and top of the breastbone. The neck muscles are separated, and the thyroid gland (which overlies the trachea) is usually cut down the middle. The surgeon identifies the rings of cartilage that make up the trachea and cuts into the tough walls. A metal or plastic tube is inserted through the opening.
In both cases, the tube acts like a windpipe and allows the person to breathe. Oxygen or a mechanical ventilator may be hooked up to the tube to bring oxygen to the lungs.
Emergency tracheostomies have been performed for decades, but a tool such as the one described in the instant invention has not been previously available. This invention offers another tool in the armament of the emergency responder, e.g. the emergency room physician, the EMT or the military medic, when emergency tracheostomy must be performed. In addition to being simple to use, it is compact, and easily portable in the pocket of the responder.